Chapter 1381: Bewitching Flowers Begin to Dazzle the Eyes

The cold-faced, red-robed man had already seen Li Yan’s cultivation level—Mid-stage Nascent Soul—but he showed no courtesy whatsoever. It was only after hearing Li Yan announce his affiliation that he refrained from casting the technique he had been preparing.

At the same time, his Divine Sense swept over the jade slip. After a quick scan, the icy chill in his eyes eased slightly.

Still, he sized up Li Yan carefully. His appearance matched the report they had received about the new elder of the Broken Army Sect.

As a superior sect, they would, of course, periodically confirm the high-level combat strength of their subordinate sects. Because Li Yan had killed Mang Yan, his image had been transmitted to the Blood Lantern Sect when Shangguan Tianque came to explain the situation.

Even a newly advanced Nascent Soul cultivator like Yu Banjiang would have his information collected within a certain period.

“Where is Sect Master Shangguan?” the cold-faced man asked, his voice still icy.

“He is in seclusion and was unable to come!” Li Yan replied just as indifferently. Having formed some judgments about the Blood Lantern Sect, he certainly wasn’t going to reveal that Shangguan Tianque was in the middle of refining pills.

“Hmph. You arrived on time. Follow me inside. Once in the sect, you may only stay within five zhang of me. Do not wander about.”

“Otherwise, if any unfortunate consequences arise, you will have only yourself to blame!” the cold-faced man said. He asked no more questions, just gave Li Yan a flat look, then turned around, pocketing the jade slip as he did so.

Li Yan said nothing and immediately followed. A distance of a hundred li was but the blink of an eye for cultivators of their speed.

Li Yan followed the man and soon flew into the massive mountain gate. Ahead, the thick black-and-red clouds churned, parting on their own to form a path as the cold-faced man flew through.

The black-and-red clouds billowed and rolled to either side, as if repelled by some force from his body. After the two of them flew past, the clouds behind them quickly closed again.

The area was once again restored to a dead, oppressive silence, filled with a sense of disregard for life.

Li Yan followed from a short distance, maintaining a gap of about forty-seven or forty-eight feet from the cold-faced man.

But the instant he entered the mountain gate, his gaze swept covertly and seemingly unintentionally towards a certain spot.

There, the faint, almost imperceptible aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator was hidden. The aura, however, was concealed by the black-and-red clouds.

If Li Yan hadn’t entered the mountain gate, and if his Divine Sense wasn’t so powerful, he really wouldn’t have been able to sense that another person was hiding not far away.

‘Another Mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Two Nascent Soul cultivators guarding a single mountain gate. The Blood Lantern Sect’s defenses are tight!’

Li Yan’s expression remained as calm as an ancient well, showing no change, but his understanding of the Blood Lantern Sect had been renewed.

In the lower realm, a sect with Nascent Soul cultivators would, at most, have a Nascent Soul cultivator on duty who would periodically release their Divine Sense for a quick scan of the surroundings. It was nothing like this state of high alert.

Li Yan could sense that the path he was taking was fraught with danger. The moment he entered the black-and-red clouds, he was already trapped in a grand formation that could easily shred a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Li Yan just followed silently behind the cold-faced man. The man, seeing that Li Yan wasn’t looking around or randomly scanning with his Divine Sense, but was obediently following within five zhang as instructed, was quite satisfied.

Just like that, with one in front and one behind, the two flew deeper into the sect.

After flying for about the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, Li Yan’s vision suddenly brightened. The two of them had emerged from the black-and-red clouds, leaving them behind.

Before them appeared a landscape of multi-leveled pavilions and kiosks. It was only then that Li Yan saw the figures of other cultivators flying past, and auras of varying strengths instantly appeared within his Divine Sense.

Cultivators, both men and women, streaked across the sky near and far like long rainbows, crisscrossing the heavens and the earth. Only now did the scene display the prosperity of an immortal sect.

The vast majority of the cultivators here were at the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core realms, and there were even some Qi Condensation stage disciples. Li Yan knew that he had truly entered the main area of their sect.

And behind them, the churning black-and-red clouds that filled the sky did not extend any further, as if they were held back by an invisible line drawn in the sky.

In the air, many cultivators were first stunned to see the cold-faced, red-robed cultivator and Li Yan, then they immediately bowed deeply to the red-robed man from afar, while secretly sizing up Li Yan.

The cold-faced cultivator’s speed did not decrease, and he didn’t even acknowledge them, continuing to fly straight ahead.

Li Yan only glanced around briefly before retracting his gaze. There were many female cultivators with skin as white as snow and beauty like immortals, who were also looking over at him with curiosity.

Seeing them, Li Yan’s expression remained unchanged, not even a flicker of emotion on his face. This earned him a secret nod of approval from the red-robed cultivator in front, who had been watching him covertly.

Li Yan was, at the very least, much better in terms of mental fortitude than some of the others who had come before.

Among those people, several had been unable to hide the possessive desire in their eyes upon seeing some of the female cultivators in the sect.

Although people like Li Yan were cultivators from subordinate sects, their cultivation levels were plain to see.

Even in the Blood Lantern Sect, it was no big deal for them to glance at a few low-level female cultivators.

As long as they didn’t make any major mistakes, the Spirit Transformation ancestors would certainly not make a move against them lightly.

Especially since some of the people who came had connections with Nascent Soul cultivators, or even Spirit Transformation ancestors, within the Blood Lantern Sect. They were even bolder, unlike Li Yan who had no connections.

Just like that, in silence, they flew for another half an hour. Li Yan noticed that the number of cultivators around them was dwindling.

Moreover, even when cultivators did appear, their cultivation was at least at the Golden Core stage. Li Yan guessed that this area was already considered the core region of their sect.

As he was pondering this, they quickly bypassed several mountain peaks, and in the empty space ahead, a magnificent grand hall appeared.

The grand hall floated in mid-air, its entirety emitting rays of red light and a thousand streaks of auspicious colors that spread across the sky, as if it were the only thing in existence between heaven and earth.

This time, the cold-faced, red-robed man did not go around it, but led Li Yan straight towards the hall’s main gate. Soon, the two arrived before the entrance.

At the entrance stood four exquisitely beautiful women, all dressed in snow-white palace attire. Their full chests and perky buttocks, high-piled black hair, and long, slender jade legs were accentuated by their clothes, making their figures appear even more graceful and enchanting.

All four were at the Mid-stage Golden Core Realm or higher. Seeing the red-robed man approach, the four women, standing at the entrance, all turned sideways and curtsied gracefully.

“We greet you, Martial Uncle!”

This time, the cold-faced man nodded at the four women before turning to face Li Yan.

“Fellow Daoist Li, you may follow them into the hall. You and another Fellow Daoist are among the later arrivals, but you are still within the designated time.”

“You can wait here. If there are no surprises, we should be setting off tonight!”

“Many thanks!”

Seeing the man speak so much, which was a rare occurrence, Li Yan hurriedly expressed his thanks.

The cold-faced cultivator said no more to Li Yan. He turned, rose into the air, and departed swiftly.

“Senior, please follow me inside!”

After the cold-faced cultivator had given his instructions and left, one of the four women, a tall figure whose beauty could topple nations, walked over and bowed to Li Yan again. Her voice was as pleasant and melodious as a warbler’s song.

“I’ll trouble you, miss!”

Li Yan also nodded slightly, his gaze already sweeping towards the interior of the main gate.

Li Yan’s attitude, in turn, brought a wider smile to the female cultivator’s face.

In the past few days, they had been ordered to receive the distinguished guests here. Among the Nascent Soul cultivators they had met, they were either ice-cold towards them or their eyes were filled with lust.

This made the four women complain endlessly in their hearts, but this was a mission assigned by the sect, and they had no choice.

But this ordinary-looking young man’s attitude was very gentle, and his gaze when he looked at her was exceptionally clear, without the slightest hint of lewdness.

Thus, as she turned to lead the way, she had already begun to speak softly.

“There have been people arriving in the hall since five days ago. Including you, Senior, there are now four people. There is still one senior who has yet to arrive. However, your arrival time is quite good, so you won’t have to wait here for too long.”

The tall and stunningly beautiful woman whispered quickly to Li Yan.

Hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Li Yan’s eyes. He didn’t know if these four women would introduce things this way to every cultivator who arrived, but it was clear that her last sentence was meant for him alone.

Li Yan also understood the meaning behind her words. That is, once people arrived here, they were not allowed to go out and could only wait. This was somewhat similar to the cold-faced, red-robed cultivator’s earlier actions.

It seemed the Blood Lantern Sect did not want people like them to wander around freely in the sect. Were they afraid they would discover some of their sect’s secrets?

Li Yan quickly thought about it and soon gleaned some information. Just then, the two of them had already entered the grand hall.

The hall was magnificent. To Li Yan, it felt like it was at least several thousand zhang in size. The huge pillars of the hall were like pillars supporting the sky, giving the entire hall a feeling of being propped up high.

The giant pillars were carved with various demonic beasts. They were either riding on clouds and mist, or coiling their bodies and roaring at the sky. Their appearances were either ferocious or majestic, filling the entire hall with a sense of solemnity.

From the main entrance, Li Yan and the woman in front of him walked for a full incense stick’s time before finally reaching the gathering area in the center of the hall.

There, among rows of wide chairs, four people were sitting scattered about, near and far. On the tea tables beside them were spirit tea with swirling mist and spirit fruits emitting a rich fragrance.

They were either resting with their eyes closed, eating spirit fruits and savoring them with half-closed eyes, or looking around.

As Li Yan entered, these four people also noticed him one after another. Li Yan also saw the four people in the hall. Because the hall was too magnificent, the four of them sitting in it were like four flies, completely inconspicuous.

There were two men and two women in the hall. When Li Yan’s gaze fell on one of them, a slight smile appeared on his face.

At this moment, as the two of them drew closer, the four people’s gazes also turned towards them.

Of the two men, one was built like a small mountain with a face full of fierce flesh, appearing to be in his fifties. His gaze first fixed fiercely on the tall woman in front of them for a few moments, as if he wanted to bore into her very bones.

Especially on her cloud-piercing peaks and the patch of snow-white skin below her neck, he lingered for a moment before finally looking at Li Yan.

The other man was surprisingly young, looking to be only fifteen or sixteen, with a youthful face. To be precise, he was a teenager.

It was just that his complexion was a bit pale, and although his eyes held a smile, they gave one the feeling of being watched by a cold, venomous snake.

Dressed in black, his gaze also lingered on the tall woman, sweeping up and down, especially on the pair of long, jade-like legs that moved as she walked.

This sent a chill through the heart of the woman leading Li Yan. Her pretty face couldn’t help but turn a little pale, and her body shivered involuntarily.

The Divine Sense of a Nascent Soul cultivator was too powerful. She was not sure how much of their prying her magical-treasure-grade clothes could block.

But fortunately, the black-clothed youth also shifted his gaze away and landed on Li Yan behind her.

Of the two women in the hall, one was in her thirties, a woman whose charm had not faded with age. She was slightly plump, but she gave one the feeling that she was made of water.

Her pair of phoenix eyes were filled with the promise of spring, and a casual glance was enough to hook one’s soul, making one feel willing to give everything for her.

But Li Yan’s gaze fell on the other person not far from the beautiful woman.

She was a young woman in a black dress. The snow-white skin of her exposed arms, contrasted with the black dress, shimmered with a smooth, delicate white light. She wore a silver mask on her face.

That woman was none other than Donglin Tingyue!

The moment she saw Li Yan clearly, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, and then a smile rippled through them.

When the others looked at Li Yan, their expressions were also varied. They were all elders from the various sects under the jurisdiction of the Blood Lantern Sect. By now, they had gathered a lot of information about the Broken Army Sect, including information about this man, Li Yan.

“Alright, if there’s nothing else you need to instruct, you may leave first!”

Li Yan quickened his pace, passed the Golden Core female cultivator, and walked towards Donglin Tingyue. The moment he passed the beautiful Golden Core cultivator, he quickly sent her a voice transmission.

The female cultivator was supposed to lead Li Yan to his seat and serve him spirit tea and other things. But every breath she spent here felt like she was sitting on pins and needles.

Especially the gazes of the two male cultivators. With their powerful cultivation, she felt as if she were completely naked under their gazes, seen through completely. It was an unspeakably uncomfortable and humiliating feeling.

Hearing Li Yan’s words, the slender, graceful body of the woman, who was walking with her head slightly bowed, paused for a moment.

Then, she raised her beautiful head in astonishment and looked at the side profile of Li Yan, who had already passed her. Her task was not yet finished.